Page 59 - Summer2009

glyderide of oleic acid; that is, oleic acid joined HQWLWOHG ³3URLQÀDPPDWRU\ 3KHQRW\SH RI 3HUL-
to a glycerol molecule. Thus the diet described as vascular Adipocytes: Influence of High-Fat
high in saturated fatty acids was actually high in Feeding.” The researchers found more markers of
monounsaturated fatty acids! (None of the diets YDVFXODU LQÀDPPDWLRQ LQ PLFH SODFHG RQ D ³KLJK
could be called normal diets.) fat Western diet.” But nowhere in the article or
It would be surprising if saturated fats the accompanying press release do the authors
caused liver problems in experiments like these disclose the type of fat fed to the mice.
because for sixty years, research has shown that After an email query, Neil Weintraub, the
saturated fats protect the liver. A recent study, principal study author, provided us with the feed-
published in the Journal of Nutrition ing formula they used—the fat used was indeed
$SULO IRXQG WKDW VDWXUDWHG IDW IURP an animal fat, what the industry calls anhydrous
beef tallow reduced alcoholic liver toxicity in milk fat; that is, butterfat with most of the mois-
rats whereas corn oil increased markers of liver ture removed. The other main components of
toxicity. Moral: If you drink, eat plenty of butter the formula were casein (20 percent by weight),
and fatty meats. VXFURVH SHUFHQW E\ ZHLJKW DQG FRUQ VWDUFK
SHUFHQW E\ ZHLJKW ²DOO SUREOHPDWLF LQJUH-
SATURATED FATS IN PREGNANCY DIET GLHQWV WKDW FRXOG KDYH FRQWULEXWHG WR LQÀDPPD-
More spin doctoring comes with a Novem- tion. As there was no control group fed the same
ber, 2008 study published in the Journal of Clini- formula but with polyunsaturated oil instead of
cal Investigation (doi:10.1172/JCI32661) which anhydrous milk fat, the researchers could make
compared the results of two diets fed to pregnant no comparison of the effects of mostly saturated
monkeys. One group got a “healthy” diet of versus mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids.
IUXLWV YHJHWDEOHV DQG SHUFHQW IDW 7KH RWKHU And anhydrous milk fat may not have the
JURXS JRW D KLJK FDORULH MXQN IRRG GLHW ZLWK VDPH IDWW\ DFLG SUR¿OH DV EXWWHU 7KH LQGXVWU\
percent of calories as fat, and which, according KDV ¿JXUHG RXW KRZ WR DGG SRO\XQVDWXUDWHG IDWW\
to a news report, included potato chips, peanut acids to milk fat through enzymatic interesteri-
butter and chocolate. (A description of the diet ¿FDWLRQ
GRHV QRW DSSHDU LQ WKH VFLHQWL¿F UHSRUW ,Q WKH Weintraub believes that his results prove
latter group, fatty liver disease developed in the that “high-fat diets” can predispose individuals
IHWXVHV WKDW ZHUH VDFUL¿FHG IRU WHVWLQJ DQG WKH to heart disease even if they do not have high
offspring allowed to be born became obese. cholesterol levels. “. . . many patients who con-
The obvious conclusion of this study is sume high fat diets do not exhibit abnormal lipid It would be
that a junk diet, high in sugar and processed SUR¿OHV EXW VWLOO GHYHORS DWKHURVFOHURVLV QRQHWKH-
vegetable oils, during pregnancy will adversely OHVV 7KHVH QHZ ¿QGLQJV VXJJHVW D GLUHFW OLQN surprising if

saturated fats
affect the offspring. But according to a public EHWZHHQ SRRU GLHWDU\ KDELWV DQG LQÀDPPDWLRQ
statement by Professor Jacob Friedman, one of of blood vessels. . .” caused liver
co-authors, the study “implicates the saturated The study was again funded by the National
fat in the diet as the culprit.” Yet there was twice Institutes of Health, which preaches that “poor problems in

the level of unsaturated fat as saturated fat in the dietary habits” mean consumption of foods like experiments
junk food diet. The study was funded by grants meat, butter and cheese, high in saturated fat. like these
from the National Institutes of Health, which is
¿UPO\ ZHGGHG WR WKH K\SRWKHVLV WKDW VDWXUDWHG WATCHING CLOSELY because for
fats are the cause of chronic disease. Obviously, Why would the industry be concerned about sixty years,
Dr. Friedman has funding for future studies in a small group of people returning to butter, lard research has
mind. and other real foods? Because even small chang-
es in consumption patterns can wreak havoc in shown that
BLOOD VESSEL INFLAMMATION an industry geared to foods based on vegetable saturated fats
Another saturated fat attack comes from a oils. And the industry knows that small trends protect the
February, 2009 study published in the American soon become big trends.
Heart Association journal Circulation Research And the industry is watching carefully. A liver.

SUMMER 2009 Wise Traditions 57